A common practice at parties, receptions, and other business and social functions involves eating while standing. Holding both a plate and a cup while eating, drinking and/or holding a conversation in a crowded room is both difficult and cumbersome. Normally, a glass cannot be placed on the plate because of the presence of food Even if this were possible, spilling the glass contents readily occurs. Invariably people walk around the room searching for a place to set their plates and/or cups down Further, children and adults spill food and drinks when carrying a plate of food and a drink in a cup from a serving line to a sitting place.
Moreover, waitresses or waiters have a difficult time carrying more than two complete servings at one time. Accordingly, a rack is needed that will allow the waiter or waitress to carry twice as many servings in a significantly more comfortable and stable position.
Numerous devices for holding food, cups and utensils are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,258,792 to Lorimer; 2,295,860 to Oliver; 2,354,968 to Pickering; 3,142,425 to Cobb; 3,768,710 to Eggers; 4,516,685 to French; 4,607,758 to Stevens; 4,744,597 to Bauman et al.; and Des. 227,851 to Nowland et al.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a hand table for carrying a plate of food, a side dish and a drink in a cup in one hand while leaving the other hand free for eating and drinking.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand table that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand table for carrying a plate of food, several side dishes and two drinks in cups or glasses in one hand, while leaving the other hand free for eating and drinking
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand table that can be easily stacked.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hand table for supporting utensils, such as a knife, a fork and a spoon.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a carrying rack for supporting a plurality of plates, bowls and cups, and/or hand tables.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by a hand table(s) including an upper support and a lower support coupled to the upper support The upper support has a generally circular plate support and a cup opening or side dish opening. The lower support has a generally inverted U-shaped handle portion with a bight and first and second legs depending from the bight. A pair of foot members extend outwardly from the legs of the handle portion for supporting the upper and lower supports on a surface. A cup(s) support extends outwardly from one of the foot members and is positioned below the cup opening in the upper support for supporting the bottom of a cup or glass.
The foregoing objects are also obtained by a carrying rack including a platform portion, a base portion coupled to the platform portion, a plurality of cup supports coupled to the platform portion, and a plurality of hand tables releasably coupled to the platform portion. The platform portion includes a hub, a plurality of support arms extending radially from the hub, and at least one side dish support coupled along each of the support arms. The base portion is coupled to the platform portion for supporting the platform portion above a surface. The cup supports are coupled to the platform portion between pairs of adjacent support arms. Each of the support arms includes a connecting member for coupling one of the hand tables to the free end of the respective support arm.